Collapsible box having interlocking end walls



Nov. 24, 1953 L. G. TRICKETT, JR, ET AL 2,660,363

COLLAPSIBLE BOX HAVING INTERLOCKING END WALLS Filed April 11, 1949 2 Shcets-Sheetl G I 21 INVENTORE.

tawr'e/yce 6, Txv'oke/g J0 C/ark 0. Dee/77 N 2 ,1953 L. G. TRICKETT, JR, ET AL 2,660,363

COLLAFSIBLE BOX HAVING INTERLOCKING END WALLS Filed April 11, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HTTORNEK Patented Nov. 24, 1953 oemoe COIFLARSIBBE zBQXA- HAVING INTERDOCKING- i ENDaiWALLSi i ensietGfTflqk tti n shicke s n Clark f0. fllcinf'Kansas City, "Moi; assignors" to (li oole lipelfBorfiiimpany, North Kansas City, V Mei; a-corporatiom of Missouri hi en i n; d s oi cxeii nif rticui i oe? m de: rom a dbq r fan d ilei t ia h mar T W? pro fidef a box thatis readilyassenrble frbrniani i tia r tf lems v 2 1 ,df a flfi fi 'q l d a' v iterld kin plui tv if apsf fOrming-"SuQhf-end ,wva'l-ls:

The collapsible -box fo'rnfm g'the snbjectmate" ter -hereoF-"has beenparticularly j'desi'gned' for more sp'ecifidall-v as a *container" for bananas:

It is theusuahpresent practiceforwholesalers to-deliverbananasin-open top rigid boxesthat are retained by the retailer and held for" pick vention is the-provision of a box .:having ia-tpairxmo of endr-walls formed by integral flaps onathmbuttom a-and side ;.-walls of the box idisp'o sed inrove lapping. relationship and provided ;with---.inter;-';- lockingmeans i capable -of=. holding the -:flaps to;-

getherl 35 Another object-0f the; pnesent. -inventionz ;is .to providea box of :the abovegmentioned;:characterm wherein certain of the flaps forming :the endm walls of -the box are provided with registering opening 7 for receiving. a tab that-is wformedwto -no permit limited; relative sliding I =movement 1 bee: tween 'the -fiaps,--whereby the. side walls ofuthen, box-assume the contour of the rigid containensz' within which it is to be rused;

Other objects :of the, present .inventionaxrelateur45 to 'the way. in which Lan interlocking: .means: is 1;; provided for the. end walls .of a ,boxzztogatzthe: same time; present hand openings; thermannerlic. in which the. interlockingttab is formeds with 1 converging. edges: to presenta wedging': action 50 andzthercmanner of, stampingsrthe. aforesaid.- .tab-. frcmu-one of thefiapsx-of the end walls'ihaving' a dimension that will: prevent separation of 1 all-:- of 513119 v:flaps 70f .thelen'dv .-Wal1s.;:'

Othe'nzobjectsvwillilbe made clean-01 beco'me apparent ,as. the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig.';'1 isa top perspective view of a collapsible box. havinginterlocking end walls made in ao-' cordance withour present invention.

lfig: 2 is a .perspective.--.view cslioiving the/ box inla part1 'assembled{Tcondition l Fig: "3 his a longitudinal; cross-sectional @vie'i'v 1 Fig. 4 is? a transverse, i cross-sectional "view In Figxsgthe e is shown'fan' initiallyfiat blank isfa planxview 'of-th blank from which" lflijf'rniad'e 'fronijcardbtiardfon' the like; having a pair "of "spacedf-japart; i lon itudinal parallel lines of"bend fl 2 f'andf l 4 f'and' ;afpairflof "spaced apart paralleltransverse lines ofjfold'd 6? and I81" The-linesj-of; bond 1 2. and I 4 are intersected by thelines o f fold l iiand'i 8"topresent a rectangu 7' lan'bottom wali"ZB 'and a pair of side walls" 2'2 In both ends? 25andf2 agape-na 32 is sepa; t 36"an and alig ned withthelineof bend 12: similarlyi" tiniiationsof the'lineof" bend l4. The two'fiap's 2 6 an respectively, are eacwprovided witir'a trapezoidal" "0peninig"""49fof identical size "and Allfof' the "openings-'40 "have "a pair'of edges-"42 and 44 all ot which are *substantiall.paral1el withftne' longitudinal edges? of t e; blank [li and with the two"'lines'of'bend" their corresponding slit's-- L2 and id, as" well 'as 3 6 i a nd 38 're'spectivelyi Theopenings 4t? arealso provided with a pair' shorter -lorEitddinal""edge fl is approaohede Itiis "to-"be notedthat the openings 4i0"-formed.

44 havetliirlonger longitn-dinal ied'g'es nextad-" Jacent I the; respectiveslit 3 8 5 formed in each of the flaps 32 of end walls 26 and 28 respectively. The parallel, longitudinal edges of openings 59 however, are parallel with the lines of fold it and I8 and, therefore, perpendicular to the longitudinal edges 42 and 44 of the openings 48. When the openings 59 are stamped in the flaps, the box material that is stamped therefrom is not entirely removed and accordingly, not severed along the shorter, longitudinal edge presenting a flap 521.

The two flaps 52 are identical and are accordingly provided with a longitudinal edge 54, a line of bend 56 in opposed relationship to the edge 54 and parallel thereto, and a pair of end edges 58 and 60.

The edge 54 of the tab 52 is next adjacent the respective line of fold H or 18 as the case may be, and is appreciably longer than the line of fold 5E. The two edges 58 and 3B converge as the line of bend 56 is approached. For reasons that will hereinafter appear, the distance between the edge 54 and the line of bend 56 of tabs 52, is greater than the distance between the longitudinal edges 42 and 44 of the openings 45, but, the angularity of the edges 58 and 63 of tabs 52, is substantially the same as the angularity of the edges 45 and 48 of openings 40.

When the blank [0, shown in Fig. 5, is bent and formed into a completely assembled box 62, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, the two side walls 22 and 24 are bent upwardly with respect to the bottom wall 20 on the lines of bend l2 and 14. The flaps 30 and the flaps 34, integral with side walls 22 and 24 respectively, are thereupon bent inwardly on lines of fold l6 and I8 as the case may be, with the flaps 30 and 34 of end wall 26 relatively overlapped and. the flaps 30 and 34 of end wall 23 also in overlapped condition as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The two flaps 32 integral with bottom wall 20 are thereupon bent upwardly upon lines of fold l6 and 18, as the case may be, and disposed in overlapping relationship with the proximal flap 30 or 34. When the side walls 221 and 24 are relatively parallel, and perpendicular to the bottom wall 20, and when the flaps 30 and 34 of each of the end walls 26 and 28 are in overlapped face to face relationship, the openings 40 thereof will be in registering alignment.

The inwardly bent tabs 52 are thereupon extended through the aligned openings 48 and the box 62 is permitted to assume the position shown in Fig. 1. The two side walls 22 and 24 will spread outwardly and converge as the bottom 20 is approached, but such outward spreading movement of the side walls 22 and 24, will be limited by the tabs 52 within the corresponding registering openings 40 in flaps 30 and 34 as the case may be.

It is seen that the three flaps 30, 32 and 34 of each of the end walls 26 and 28, will be effectively interlocked and because of the particular shape of the tabs 52, as well as the openings 40, the wedging action will take place. In other words, as shown in Fig. 4, one of the inclined edges 58 or 60 of the tabs 52, will tend to force the innermost flap 30 or 34 against the proximal face of the next adjacent flap 30 or 34 will also force the centermost of the three flaps of the end walls 26 or 28, against the innermost face of the flap 32. The greater the tendency of the side walls 22 and 24 to swing outwardly on their lines of bend l2 or 14, the greater will be the binding action caused by the tabs 52 in forcing the three flaps 30, 32 and 34 tightly together. Because of the inclined edges 46 and 48 of the openings 40, the tabs 52 will assume a position adjacent the longer longitudinal edge 44 of the openings 40 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. Merely extending the tabs 52 through the aligned openings 48, as illustrated at the left in Fig. 3, is sulficient to hold the three flaps 30, 32 and 34 of the end walls 25 and 28 in the interlocked position. However, the openings 40 in the end walls, together with the openings 50, all of which will be in alignment, serve as a hand opening to permit carrying of the box 62. When the operator extends his hand inwardly through such aligned openings, he will most naturally cause the flap 52 to be bent upwardly as illustrated at the right end of the box as shown in Fig. 3.

Thus, the tabs 52 are formed into a loop with the flaps 30 and 34 disposed within the loops and between flap 52 and flap 32. The contents of box 62 will further serve in holding the tabs 52 in such looped condition.

It is seen from the foregoing that a collapsible box has been described that will readily assume the contour of the rigid container within which box 62 is to be disposed. Since it is desirable in packing fruits, particularly bananas, that the side walls of the box incline upwardly as the uppermost edges thereof are approached, the liner hereof will fulfill such need. When the liner is to be returned to the wholesaler, it is a simple matter to remove the tabs 52 from the aligned openings 40 and to return the entire box 62 to the flat condition as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, for ease of handling and simplification of storage. While, as above set forth, it is contemplated that the box forming the subject matter hereof, be used for handling bananas, and further that the same be used as a liner for another more rigid container, it is apparent that this box might well be used to contain other products and that the same may be utilized without the need of an outermost rigid container.

Furthermore, while the box 62 has been illustrated as having an open top, and a closed bottom wall 23, it is apparent that the same may be changed to include a top wall either integral with one or more of the side walls 22 or 24, or that the top be closed by a separate lid as is well known in this art.

It is apparent therefore, that many changes and modifications may be made in the box herein described without varying from the novel interlocking end wall construction that forms the subject matter hereof. It is desired therefore, to be limited only by the spirit of this invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a box, a bottom wall; a pair of opposed side walls; and a pair of opposed end walls, each including a pair of overlapping inner flaps and an outer flap overlapping the inner flaps, there being a hinge connection for each side wall respectively joining the same integrally with the bottom wall, a hinge connection for each inner flap respectively joining the same integrally with a corresponding side wall, and a hinge connection for each outer flap respectively joining the same integrally with the bottom wall, each flap having a trapezoidal opening, each flap opening having a lowermost linear edge, a shorter uppermost linear edge, and a pair of linear side edges converging toward the uppermost edge, said edges forming the openings of the flaps, each of the outer flaps being provided with a trapezoidal tab having a lowermost linear edge, a shorter uppermost linear edge, and a pair of linear side edges converging toward the uppermost edge of the tab, the uppermost edge of each tab being common to the uppermost edge of the opening of its outer flap and constituting a hinge connection integrally joining the tab with its outer flap, the tabs extending through the openings of the inner flaps and having their converging edges engaging the converging edges of the inner flaps whereby, as the side Walls swing apart relative to the bottom wall, the inner flaps will be drawn tightly against their correspondingouter flaps.

2. In a box, a bottom Wall; a pair of opposed side walls; and a pair of opposed end walls, each including a pair of overlapping side wall flaps and a bottom wall flap overlapping the side wall flaps, there being a hinge connection for each side wall respectively joining the same integrally with the bottom wall, a hinge connection for each side wall flap respectively joining the same integrally with a corresponding side wall, and a hinge connection for each bottom wall flap respectively joining the same integrally with the bottom wall, each fiap having a trapezoidal opening, each flap opening having a lowermost linear edge, a shorter uppermost linear edge, and a pair of linear side edges converging toward the uppermost edge, said edges forming the openings of the flaps, one of the flaps of each end wall being provided with a trapezoidal tab having a lowermost linear edge, a shorter uppermost linear edge, and a pair of linear side edges converging toward the uppermost edge of the tab,

the uppermost edge of each tab being common to the uppermost edge of the opening of its flap and constituting a hinge connection integrally joining the tab with its flap, the tabs extending through the openings of proximal flaps and having their converging edges engaging the converging edges of the last-mentioned openings whereby, as the side walls swing apart relative to the bottom wall, the side wall flaps will be drawn tightly against their corresponding bottom wall flaps.

LAWRENCE G. TRICKE'IT, J R.

CLARK O. DEEM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,718,298 Markman June 25, 1929 2,352,994 Morgan July 4, 1944 2,365,182 Ferguson Dec. 19, 1944 2,459,939 Hill et a1. Jan. 25, 1949 2,577,248 James Dec. 4, 1951 

